Finland Guide
Helsinki and the south
Hietaniemi Cemetery
Opening time: Usually open until 10pm
A prowl among the expanse of tombs at Hietaniemi Cemetery is like a stroll through a "Who was Who" of Finland's last 150 years: Engel, Snellman, Waltari, Tove Jansson and a host of former presidents (including Mannerheim and Kekkonen) are buried here, while just inside the main entrance lies Alvar Aalto, his witty little tombstone consisting partly of a chopped Neoclassical column; behind it is the larger marker of Gallen-Kallela, his initials woven around a painter's palette. Local schoolkids head to the cemetery when skipping off lessons during warm weather, not for a smoke behind the gravestones but to reach the beaches that line the bay just beyond its western walls. From these you can enjoy the best sunset view in the city.